The Impact of Sustainable Farming

“Today, we want food that’s fast, cheap, and delicious and we don’t think about the cost to our health or to the environment.” – Devon Dionne

When it comes to the fate of the world we live in, we play a huge role. Depending on how we treat our environment today, that will determine how we will live in the future.

Something that we do have control over is how we grow and distribute food via different farming techniques. Unlike industrial farming, sustainable farming gives us food that comes from farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare.

In this week’s episode, Devon and I share how industrial farming is harming the earth and how sustainable agriculture can help us reverse those effects and beyond to help us grow and flourish as a society.

SUSTAINABLE TIP! Be mindful of what you eat; think about where it’s coming from and how was it transported to you.

Family Farming vs Factory Farming

Family farms tend to respect the land more than the major corporations that want a profit and money for their shareholders.

After the world wars and the Great Depression, we had to feed lots of people so we swiftly developed specific farming machinery or added pesticides to grow tons of food at a fast pace. Because of this, we needed less and less farmers to produce the food and industrial farming took the lead in production.

Industrial farming also led to other adverse affects on the environment and our own health.

The Downsides to Industrial Farming

Looking at environmental health, economic profitability, social and economic equity impact – how are major corporations dealing with the workers and the community? Are they harming more than helping them to survive?

The industrial farming big brands and corporations have caused a ton of problems for ourselves and the environment:

Topsoil depletion

Groundwater contamination

Fewer family farms and those that exist are barely surviving

Increase of labor issues

Decrease of health in the communities

“Statistically, only 1 in 10 farmers can support their families. Otherwise they can support their farm, but not necessarily their family.” – Devon Dionne

How Much Are We Wasting Food?

Because of how food is grown, shipped, purchased, and eaten by consumers, we end up wasting anywhere from 20-50% of food:

38% of the harvested grains are lost through the process of shipping, being purchased by customer, and then later thrown out in the garbage when it has spoiled.

50% of seafood as well as fruits and vegetables end up being lost or rotted.

25% of cattle that is killed for meat ends up being wasted.

20% of milk and dairy products like yogurt go bad before we can consume them.

We need to figure out how to get the food from the farms to the dinner table without wasting it.

Implementing Sustainable Farming Practices

There are many ways that we can turn to sustainable farming practices in order to improve our environment:

Rotate out crops for long amounts of time for nutritious soil.

Reduce the amount of tilling to prevent erosion and polluting the air.

Lower the use of pesticides and herbicides.

Introduce insects like lady bugs to eat the mites and other pests.

Grow cover crops like clovers for an extra layer of protection.

Add prairie strips or perennial plants throughout just 10% of the farmland.

Implement cattle rotation so that the animals are closer to their food and the manure is closer to the farm for fertilization.

Plant trees in the fields for agroforestry which brings extra shade and shelter which also leads to less watering and helps to reduce soil erosion.

A Sustainable Future

We cannot allow climate change, over-population, and sustainable living to be such taboo topics. They’re real and we have to deal with them by openly discussing them. It’s just reality that we’re not going to have enough room to live or food to feed us all.

So, what changes can we make today? Here are some ideas to help you get started:

Create an urban farm like a vegetable garden, a tomato plant, or have a beehive.

Buy from local farms and visit them to see how they practice agriculture and grow our food.

Cook at home and eat out less because then you know where your food is coming from.

Notice how much food you’re throwing away on a regular basis.

Get educated about farming and know what’s going on in your local community or in the government.

Start educating other people about sustainable eating via articles, blogs, or even this podcast episode!

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